Believing You Can Fly

Jacquelyn Gaines joined the workforce as a nurse. Her dedication and compassion made her a favorite among her patients, but her superiors weren't always so impressed. As a black woman, she faced their prejudices and proved her worth.

Eventually deciding to take her career to another level, her professional and personal life were forever changed when she started working for Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., in Baltimore, Maryland. Again her empathy, paired with hard work, made her interactions with her patients fruitful and fulfilling.

''I have never worked anywhere before or since that gave me such a sense of purpose,'' she writes. ''I knew daily that I made a difference in the lives of the vulnerable people in the community where I was born and raised.''

She later took on the position of Vice President of Community Health Systems Integration for Bon Secours Baltimore Health System and worked with the Surgeon General. Then, at the top of her career, she became the first black female to run a hospital in Oregon and later served as the Regional President and CEO for Mercy Health Partners in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Gaines now shares her experiences to motivate and inspire those with similar aspirations.